Spotlight, Interview and Giveaway - Out Of Practice Aphrodite (Book 1 of The Naughty Goddess Chronicles) by S. E. Babin

Out of Practice Aphrodite (Book 1 of The Naughty Goddess Chronicles)

by S.E. Babin

 

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BLURB: 

Abby’s major screw-up brings the wrath of Zeus upon her head. He offers her a choice – work for him or spend the rest of her days hanging out in Hades with her ex-husband. For Abby, this choice is a no-brainer, especially when Zeus says the only thing he wants her to do is make a love match. 

She’s the Goddess of Love. What could go wrong? 

Everything. 

Abby stumbles into an ex-lover, a dead demi-god and the realization that a crucial relic has been stolen right out from underneath Zeus’ nose. Eris, the Goddess of Chaos and Discord, is behind the theft and murder and the faltering powers Abby is trying to keep secret. With Zeus breathing down her neck, she’ll need to keep her wits about her as she races against the clock and Zeus’ imposed two-week time period. 

Of course, this is easier said than done. Not only is she struggling with a budding attraction to a sexy lawman and feelings for long-time friend, Hermes, she’s also trying to keep everyone out of the path of a vengeful goddess while saving the Earth and Olympus from the reign of a tyrant. What’s a goddess to do when the fate of the world rests upon her fashionable shoulders? 

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Excerpt: 

More tears rolled down my face and golden light blinded me and still I stood there, sucking every bit of magic I could from her. She would never hurt anyone again. “We are gods, Zeus. We are all beyond help.” 

“No, Abby. That’s where you are wrong. Look at you. Look at the life you have made away from Olympus. Look at the man you are killing someone for.” 

I stared at Marshall, still with his hand out toward me, green eyes watchful and wary. 

“You have shown me things I long thought the gods were incapable of – compassion, love, hope, and I hope now you’ll show mercy.” He stood there, powerful in his own right, the King of the Gods asking me to show lenience against someone who would have destroyed him. I looked away, no longer wanting to see the pity or the longing for his daughter in his eyes. 

I shut my eyes, willing this all to go away, wishing I could wake up in my bed none the wiser. When I opened them, I turned away and saw Artie standing in the doorway of the den, tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth. The look of horror in her eyes was my undoing. I released the magic with a gasp and fell to my knees. Sobs racked my body and I couldn’t stop them. The horror of the last few weeks caught up to me in that moment, and I laid my head on the smooth concrete of the floor and succumbed to the grasp of magic.

 

Buy Link:    Amazon

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Let's Learn a Little About Sheryl:

 

What is your writing environment? 

I have a large desk with shelves, a separate bookcase and a sitting area (with another bookshelf). The sitting area has these two cool silver and orange chairs (which sounds hideous, but they’re actually quite cool) sitting on each side of a small table filled with sparkly rocky specimens and a gorgeous fairy house a friend of mine made.

Who is your perfect hero and why? 

I love dark heroes, those who we believe are evil but who have been driven to certain deeds due to circumstances. One of my favorites now is Hook from Once Upon a Time. He’s utterly gorgeous, but everyone thinks he’s terribly evil when maybe he’s the most honorable of all of them. I think all of us are a little misunderstood, so my favorite heroes are the ones who are the most human.

What authors have caught your interest lately and why? 

I’m loving me some Jill Mansell. She writes chick-lit and shifts points of view flawlessly. We get into everyone’s head! She ties all these characters together with such ease. Love her right now. I’m also reading Diana Rowland. She has two fantastic urban fantasy series out – one about demons and the other about zombies. And then there’s Kevin Hearne…Jim Butcher…Jenn Bennett…Faith Hunter. I can keep this thread going for years!

What type of book have you always wanted to write? 

Actually, I just wrote it. I took a crazy chance on a book. I threw out the rule book and wrote a story about a writer. Her perfect man drops into her lap…well, not really, he drops naked into her driveway after she and her friends drunkenly type out a perfect man list and do a visualization exercise. The only complication is her neighbor. He’s hot, aggravating, sweet and an all-around royal pain in her rear. It’s a cross between Bridget Jones and Weird Science. I had so much fun writing it! There are drunken escapades in a wheelbarrow, Russian elderly strippers and all kinds of other hilarity going on.

Top 3 things on your bucket list? 

Visit Ireland. Live in the mountains in North Carolina. Time travel!

How did you get the idea for this particular novel? 

I entered and won a Valentine’s Day Flash Fiction contest. My protagonist was Aphrodite and then I thought, “Hmm….what if?” It was born just a little while after that.

What is your favorite scene in your new release? 

I love the scene where Abby, Ares and Artie get busted by the cops and give lame fake names. It cracked me up.

What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available? 

I am working on the sequel to Out of Practice Aphrodite. I hope that one is out sometime in the fall. I have just sent Plotting Mr. Perfect (the book I spoke about above) to an editor, so I’m crossing my fingers it gets picked up. If not, I think I’m going to self-publish that one ASAP. I also have a brewing idea involving an original twist on fairy tales. The cover for the book The Hunt for Snow is up on Wattpad, so once I start writing it; it will be free for a while. You can find me there by looking up the handle chandlermaid.

 

What do you like to do when you are not writing? 

Oh gosh, you’re going to make me give away how nerdy I am. I don’t have a lot of time because I’m a mama to three, but I love to read. I love to watch movies. I love to bake. I love listening to music, but not dancing (think Elaine a la Seinfeld). I love Netflix binges (Fringe, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Being Human). I wish I could say something cool like scuba diving, but I got nothing. I finally got in to an underground supper club after months of pestering and waiting. So, that’s cool. If you happen to be a geek like me!

What would you consider a perfect date? 

I am so glad I’m married because I finding dating painful on a completely cellular level. My husband is a hilarious guy so any time I get to spend with him is good. If I had to pick something, I’d say trying a new restaurant or an indie rock festival.

What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know? 

I am a veteran. In Basic Training they called me “Lost Girl” because my sense of direction sucked.

 

Thank you so much for hosting me today. I had a great time answering all of these!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Sheryl has had a book in her hands pretty much from the time she could hold things with her hands. Her love of reading turned into a curious exploration to see whether or not she could write her own. Beginning with random, terrible poetry and a slightly popular reimagining of Beowulf’s Grendel in her high school English class, Sheryl ended up spending way too much time in the library, killing any chance of her becoming a cheerleader or anything even remotely cool. 

Sheryl has a fondness for humorous, lighthearted stories but also secretly covets bad-ass leather wearing chicks who curse too much. It helps if they’re funny, too. She writes a little bit of everything but is currently focusing on light paranormal mysteries.

 

Twitter - @hungrybiblio 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007993170744
 

Website - http://sebabin.com/

 

 

Giveaway:

The author will be awarding a chocolate/coffee/wine-themed gift basket (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  The more you comment, the better your chances of winning!  Follow the tour HERE